Felt News

Felt Olympians Aiming for Gold

Thursday, July 26, 2012

London -- The 2012 London Olympics are underway this weekend, and 15 athletes from around the world are counting on Felt bicycles to give them an edge on the competition. Felt will be represented in most of the Olympic cycling disciplines, including road, time trial, track and triathlon events.

The Olympic cycling competition starts off with a bang, the men’s Olympic road race on Saturday, July 28. Less than a week after the finish of the Tour de France in Paris, the world’s best pro road racers will compete in the streets of London on the opening day of the Games.

Representing Felt in the men’s Olympic road race, a 250km circuit race that UCI President Pat McQuaid said could draw close to a million spectators, is German John Degenkolb from the Argos-Shimano team. The 23-year-old has five wins already this season and will be gunning for a high finish on his Felt F1 road bike.

The women’s road race takes place Sunday on the same course, and two riders will be aiming for the podium on their Felt bikes: American Kristin Armstrong, a gold medalist in the time trial four years ago in Beijing; and Mexican rider Ingrid Drexel. Three days later Armstrong will ride her Felt DA in an attempt to defend her gold medal at the August 1 women's time trial.

Track racing begins August 2, with seven Felt riders competing for gold. Four-time World Champion Sarah Hammer leads the U.S. squad, which also includes pursuiters Lauren Tamayo, Jennie Reed and Dotsie Bausch on the women’s side, and sprinter Jimmy Watkins on the men’s side. Also riding Felt in the track events are Canadian Zach Bell and German Roger Kluge, both shooting for a medal in the omnium, and sprinter Nijsane Phillip from Trinidad and Tobago.

In triathlon, Swiss athlete Daniela Ryf will be racing her Felt bike on August 4. And in XC mountain biking, a total of three riders—Austrian Karl Markt, German Adelheld Morath and Slovenian Blaza Klemencic—will be racing in Essex on August 11 (women) and August 12 (men).

Follow your favorite Felt athletes over the next few weeks as they go for gold in the 2012 London Games. For a complete schedule of events, click here.